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Schools torched as Aceh heats up
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Scores of schools have been burned down and dozens of rebels have been killed or captured as Indonesia's military goes on the offensive against Aceh's separatists. As many as 180 schools have been torched, one education official is reported as saying, with both sides blaming the other for the destruction. Masked arsonists in civilian clothing set fire to the schools overnight, some scribbling the word "merdeka" -- Indonesian for "freedom" -- on the walls, wires services report. Meanwhile, the military says it has shot and killed at least 12 rebels and arrested dozens more, according to The Associated Press. While the Indonesian forces are vowing to eliminate every last rebel -- believed to number between 5,000 and 10,000 -- the guerrillas are promising a drawn-out conflict backed by increasing civilian support for their cause. More than 10,000 people have died in nearly 30 years of fighting in the disputed province, which is located on the northern tip of Sumatra island. Speaking for the first time since she declared martial law in Aceh on Sunday, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri said the moves were necessary to defend the republic's integrity and to crush separatism. Megawati said she could not ignore the mandate given by the nation's founding founders only to accommodate the wishes of Acehnese separatists, the official Antara news agency reports. "I hope these measures would be understood by all Indonesians, including groups espousing democracy and human rights," she said. The United States, near neighbor Australia and other countries, however, have urged a resumption of peace talks between the government and rebels which they believe ended prematurely. Around 35,000 troops have been stationed in Aceh in a bid to swamp the rebels with an overwhelming show of force in the resource-rich province which has a population of around 4.3 million people. Professional campaignMilitary sources earlier said there had been more than 30 clashes since martial law was imposed, CNN correspondent Atika Shubert reported Tuesday from Aceh. "There have been skirmishes," Shubert said. "The military tells us of 33 different incidents, although most of these incidents were very small, brief firefights between rebels and Indonesian troops." Despite the massive military presence, people were conducting their lives as normal, with the military eager to conduct a professional campaign specifically target the rebel leadership, Shubert said. Commanders have warned soldiers they will not tolerate the human rights abuses which have been a feature of earlier actions in the province. However, Rizal Sukma, from Indonesia's Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNN Tuesday the latest show of force might persuade many Acehnese citizens to go over to the rebel side and prolong the conflict. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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